Special Voting Blues:We Will Get It Right On December 7-EC Assures

The Electoral Commission (EC) is assuring Ghanaians of an error free general elections on December 7 despite widespread reports of omission of names in the Special Voters register.

Hundreds of Special Voters have expressed anger after they could not find their names in the register after polls open on Thursday for the Special Voting exercise.

Over 127,000 persons, including security personnel and journalists, are currently taking part in the Special Voting exercise across the country.

Some security persons, who have been turned away by the EC because they could not find their names, have threatened that, if they are not allowed to vote now, they will abandon their posts to go and vote on December 7.

Already, there are rising concerns that the challenges being experienced with the Special Voting should be a source of worry for the EC with five days to the main polls. More than 15 million Ghanaians are expected to vote on that day.

Eric Dzakpasu, Head of Communications for the EC addressing the concerns in an interview on the Super Morning Show with Kojo Yankson said the December 7 polls will be error free.

“With the largest numbers, we are going to get it right,” he assured.

He explained that the widespread omissions in the Special Voters register maybe due to the fact that “a large number of them have not transferred their votes,” he explained.

Mr Dzakpasu noted that, “the rules applying to the special voting are not in any way different from the rules applying to general elections,” and that “You cannot vote outside your constituency where you are registered.”

He explained that the Special Voting list was compiled from information given to the EC by agencies including Police Service, the National Media Commission, the Ghana Independent Broadcasters Association.

“If your ID card number is correct and valid, certainly your name must be on the Special Voters list in the constituency where you are registered,” the EC communications person stressed.